I love jewellery and own way too much of it (wait, can you ever have too much?), but on a daily basis you will find me reaching for the same pieces off my dressing table. With the hectic lives that we lead, it makes a lot of sense to have some staple (and I don't mean boring) pieces that make up your daily jewellery wardrobe. These are pieces that reflect your style, and match each other and the clothes that you wear everyday. Read on for my tips on how to select pieces for your daily capsule.
Firstly, and most importantly, your preferences...
Which category of jewellery do you naturally gravitate towards? Earrings? Rings? Necklaces?
This is one of the first questions I ask when I speak to anybody seeking advice on jewellery styling.
I am a straight-up earrings and rings girl - I naturally gravitate toward them and the bigger, the better. I do wear other types of jewellery, but sometimes I don't want to think too hard about whether my bangles are clashing with my rings, or if my necklace length is appropriate for my neckline. However, I have friends who feel naked without a big statement necklace or their sentimental bangle stack.
My advice here is to identify if you have a preference for a particular category of jewellery, and make that piece that larger area of focus. So earring girls, your capsule collection should focus on a really statement-making pair of earrings, while keeping the other jewellery simpler -- not a really loud pair of earrings, an epic ring, a big chunky necklace, big bangles, all together. That too is a look -- but not for your capsule collection.
Silver, gold or ...?
This is a very personal, and often trend-driven choice, and a preference that will change from time to time. If you have a very strong preference one way, go for it! But, if you want to mix things up a bit, I find wearing at least one mixed-metal piece will help you mix and match gold and silver pieces quite easily.
Mixed metal jewellery may be a gold piece featuring two or three shades of gold -- white, yellow and/or rose gold; or it may literally be a mix of different metals -- copper, brass and silver. Either way, at least one larger multicoloured piece will allow you to build up a capsule collection comprising of both silver and gold pieces.
It's also okay to mix real gold and silver jewellery with fashion jewellery made of metals, textiles, beads or other materials. Mix and match whatever speaks to you.
What about gemstones?
I personally love solid metals, but I also love bright colours and that's where gemstones come in. Once again, this is a very personal choice -- you may choose to wear your birthstone or a gemstone that holds a certain energy, or, simply, your favourite colour.
For a capsule collection, I would advise against wearing many different gemstones across your pieces -- e.g. avoid wearing ruby earrings, a jade ring, a citrine pendant and a lapis lazuli bracelet all together. Instead, focus on one body part if you are after some colour -- a stack of gemstone rings, a multi-gem pendant, or a gemstone cocktail ring; with your remaining jewellery comprising plain metal pieces.
Staple pieces need not be boring!
Yes, it's a daily wear capsule collection. No, that doesn't mean boring! I always say that statement pieces can be big or small, and you can make a statement through your daily wear. Even if you are purchasing pieces that are very simple, look out for unique shapes and textures, or make a piece more interesting by stacking it with other rings or bangles, or stacking several pieces of the same item!
Keeping the above in mind, these are the essentials for the perfect jewellery capsule:
Earrings:
A pair of large studs in either gold, silver or mixed-metal -- for when you want a more polished look.
A pair of colour-pop dangling earrings -- for when you want to make a more fun statement.
Pendants and Necklaces:
A short simple chain, accentuating the collarbone, possibly with a small pendant. Or a stack of simple chains of varying lengths with small charm- or amulet-style pendants.
A longer statement necklace, with or without a large pendant -- this is for when you wear a simpler outfit and want your necklace to be the talking point.
Rings:
A large cocktail ring. You really can wear a ring like this on a daily basis, as long as the rest of your jewellery is not too loud. You can even wear a large cocktail ring with a few smaller rings on other fingers, IF you have decided to make your hands your jewellery focal point.
A ring stack. You can stack several rings on one finger, or across your fingers. Play around with different rings and see which combos take your fancy.
Bangles/bracelets:
A large statement bangle or bracelet.
A stack of bracelets or bangles - like the ring stack, you can play around here with styles, colours and textures. I often wear a combination of fine jewellery and fashion jewellery bracelets in my wrist stacks.
There you go! Eight items/stacks to mix and match during the week, based on your mood and clothing. Play around and have fun! Rotate items in and out every couple of weeks if you get bored. Jewellery gives us the ability to make a personal statement that clothing does not always allow. So whatever tips you may or may not take away from here, don't forget to make your capsule your own!